Improvement in sewing-machines



. W.` S. GUINNESS.

Sewing Machine.

No. 41,916. Patented March 15, 1864.

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'Patented March 1.5, 1864.

WM. S. GUINNESS, OF MOUNT VERNON, NEW YORK.

PATENT OFFICE.

llvlPFiOVEli/lENTl IN SEWING-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent Nol 41.9116, dated March 15, 1864; antedated March 9, 1864. v

To all ahom it may concern.- A

Be it known that I, WILLIAM S. GUINNEss, of Mount Vernon, in the county of Westchester, in the State of New York, have invented certain novel and useful Improvements inthe Mode of Constructing Sewing-Machines; and

I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof', reference being had to the accompanying drawings and the letters ot reference marked thereon, which constitute and form a part ot' this specification.

To enable the public to fully understand the horizontal frame which supports the table,

vertical frame, or standard B B', removable shuttle-bed g g, traverse-har h, upon which the shuttle-bed moves backward and forward by means of the cranks i"'t"" and toggle-joint it', and main shaft-D, operated by the bandwheel m or crank n. The needle-arm o, Plate 1, moves parallel to the frame B B' byV means of its head S,'or large end thereof, reciprocating upon the vertical columns l, 2, and 3 more or less when operated by means of the connecing-rod R and crank H' upon the main shaft D.

Letter d is an adjustable band or clamp around the small end of the needle-arm c, so constructed that the needle passes between the outer face. f, of the arm and the band hence when the band is tightened by Ineans of' the set or thumbvscrew e the needle or needles are rmly secured for sewing purposes. By this means I am enabled toV use any kind ot' straight needles, from the ordinary sewing-machine needle to the common sewing-needles (Nos. 5 and S) of commerce, which may he s'uceessfully used in my machine, if desired, either singly or two or more/arranged thrLlwftlJhegved, in which case (when very nice sewingis required) the eye ot" the needle farthest from the point of the shuttle should be set one-thirty-second part of an inch lower than the needle-eye next the point of the shuttle before commencingr to sew.

Letter Gis a. wooden shnttlerholder, secured by any suitable mechanical device to the removable bed g g. I believe this holder to'be better adapted for the purpose employed than any other now used.

From the peculiar shape of my shuttle, as shown at Figure 4 I arn enabled to use a short needle, bearing in mind that the vertical way in the vicinity of the throat should be cutaway to prevent the shuttle from pressing the thread against the way. l

Letter F is thev foot employed to keep the cloth or other material to be sewed down upon the smooth face of the feedbar N N'. The foot F is held at the highest point by means of an eccentric nut, y, havingits lower surface cut in a bevel, and revolving upon an analogous inclined plane, y', as shown at Plate 1. The feed-bar N N' is operated by means of a crank, 6"', revolving upon a pin, 5, eccentric to the main shaft D, the bar N' being provided with a vertical slit or opening,'12, and adjustable guide-pin 4', which causes the smooth face of the feed-bar N to produce a double action upon the fabric to be sewcd. The bar is caused to rise by the action of the crankji'" at the same time it oscillates upon pin 4',there by giving the desired motion and pressure upon thefabric by the application of the smooth surfaces ot the bar and the foot. This feed is adapted to serving in either direction.

Figures S' 8"are two columns provided with two thumb-screws, spiral springs, and movable rings at the bottom thereof, the thread 'f passing through the bottoms ot' the columns and the adjustable rings pressing down upon the thread by'the action ofthe spiral springs and thumb-screws at the top. Letters V V representa lever, regulator, governor, having a foot, U U, and one or more eyes, through which the thread passes to the needle-eye. Its action may be retarded by a spring, W-W, a weight,or other suitable device, and thus it takes up' the surplus thread while the machine is in^motion. This regulator is operated by the head ot' the needle-arm as it ascends by the means of a boss, b, (shown atPlate 2,) that is secured in the slit T by means of a set-screw or otherwise. This boss strikes the foot U U and causes the regulator to fall back to its place. I do not confine myself to operating the regulator by the action of the needlearm alone, but may use a separate rod to connect direct to the main shaft D.

Plate 5 is an illustration of a compound interlock elastic stitch produced by two or more needles following each other in the same line. A variety of stitches may be produced by my machine, as it sews equally well in either direction, backward or forward.

Having described the individual parts of my invention, I Will state a few of its advantages over those in common use.

First, my machine moves simultaneously in all its working parts, and I believe is less liable to get out of order than any other.

Secondly, it may be run backward or forward, and will stitch perfectly either way.

Thirdly,the wholeapparatus, beingoperated by three cranks upon one main shalt, I believe to be novel and useful.

Fourthly, the simple contrivance oi' holding and operating the shuttle, I believe, renders it freer from noise and enables it to carry a larger shuttle without increasing the size of' the machine.

Ivit'thly, the inode of operating the needle precludes the necessity of any oil near it or the goods being sewed.

Lastly, the mode of regulating or governing the thread by the lever V V in either a backward or aforward movement of the machine 1 believe to be novel and useful.

What I claim as novel and useful. and Wish to secure by Letters Patent of the United States of America, is-

The combined arrangementof the needlearm c, the feed-bar N N', the shuttle-holder G, the carrier g J', and `the thread regulator or governorV V, moving simultaneously, in the manner and for lthe purpose substantially as described, and shown inthe drawings.

In testimony whereof I hereunto subscribe my name.

W. S. GUINNESS.

Witnesses:

JAMES P. MGLEAN, ANNE S. MCLEAN. 

